thepick4uchicks
Songster
I don’t have ruminant animals so I don’t have a reason to have knowledge of using salt licks except for deer, bear, or hunting type situations for watching them as in scouting animals to be hunted in the fall pre season and putting them out for them. I would provide electrolytes for my chickens only like save a chick in their drinking water and probiotic mixes. As to the oyster shell you can either put it out free choice in a separate dish or you can buy layer feed with it mixed right in with it in the feed recipe. You have that choice. I prefer to buy mine separate and let the chicken choose how much she needs. If I see that a hen is being bullied off the feed then she will more than likely not be bullied away from the oyster shell as much and that is probably a good thing. That way she can pick up the extra calcium for sure and not miss it. It just fits the way I feed better. I use a cup system and it helps me and mine monitor and waste less feed from day to day and mine is a growing flock right now with a few more mature than others so it helps me out.No! Salt is bad for animals and chickens! Very dangerous! So you want to stay away from that. Salt licks are something of the past like for deer and ruminant type animals.